Yoga On The Cheap

So many people struggle spending extra amounts of their already tight budget on something that feels like a luxury and often times this can end up meaning we sacrifice our health and fitness. We buy foods that aren’t good for us because they’re cheaper, we forgo gym memberships because of the monthly cost, and we let our health fall between the cracks in the name of saving money.

A lo of the time this means that yoga classes, which can range from eight dollars a class up to thirty or forty a class, are often the first to get cut out when people are scaling back their spending. For many people this is something that just simply has to be done. Everyone has to be financially responsible and unfortunately at times that can mean that you don’t get to splurge on classes at your favorite studio but that certainly doesn’t mean you have to give up your yoga practice or that you have to settle for doing the same boring routine from an old dvd time and time again. There are plenty of options for keeping up your yoga practice while you’re on a budget.

One such option is to hit up your local library for yoga dvds, cds or books. Lots of times your library will have plenty of selections from you to choose from and this way you can try a dvd out for a week or so and then take it back and try a different one. It’s a great way to get a lot of variety in your classes while still doing them at home. And the best part is that your library is free - just watch out for those late fees.

Another idea that follows along with this is to swap dvds or cds between friends. A big group of yoga friends can be a huge asset when it comes to trying out different classes on dvd - everyone brings one of their own and gets to trade it with someone else. If you get enough people involved and set up a regular schedule you can have an opportunity to try out lots of different ones and pretty much guarantee that you’ll never be bored with your yoga routine.

You can also see if your local yoga studio will let you make a special arrangement with them to do some kind of work in exchange for classes. Lots of time this will be basic work such as cleaning the studio, answering phones, or doing paperwork but if you have a special skill such as bookkeeping or perhaps some technical skills you can offer your services, get some free yoga classes, and maybe even get some experience to put on your resume.

If you’re really ambitious and have a little bit of savings to put to good use you could also consider getting your teaching certificate. That allows you to not only keep up your yoga practice but ultimately you can also earn some extra money by teaching classes, instead of having to pay to attend others classes.

And of course if you’re budget is super super tight you can always get a basic book that lists all the poses and their proper technique and simply make up your own sequence of poses and practice out of your home. The more you do it the sooner it will become easy to create a “class” of your own to practice by yourself. Get creative and you’ll be able to find lots of ways to stick with your yoga practice without going over your budget.